


Spotlight

by burrfication



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Theatre, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 13:05:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18447173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burrfication/pseuds/burrfication
Summary: Aaron Burr is Broadway's rising star. Alexander Hamilton is just another struggling artist with a script and a shoestring budget. When an idle rumour from a magazine boosts ticket sales, they commit to faking a relationship. But how fake is it?





	Spotlight

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for a tumblr prompt with the words "rumour, newspaper, concert".
> 
> Yes, it's a theatre AU. No, I did not have one single thought about the actual real life cast of Hamilton while writing this. It's just part of the flimsy pretense.

i have no idea why this took so long but oh my god did this take a long time

under a read-more for length. Cross-posting to AO3

 

It was no secret Aaron Burr was Broadway’s rising star. After years of being overlooked, his name was the name on everyone’s lips. Half a dozen productions wanted him for their lead role, and dozens more offered him smaller bits. He could have any role he wanted.

When Alexander took all that into consideration, it made no sense that Aaron was sitting opposite him, reading his script.

Alexander was not a rising star. He had talent and stubbornness and a script, but no one had ever heard the name ‘Alexander Hamilton’. His script was good, flawless even, but without reputation or connections he would be lucky to get his production off the ground. He’d barely managed to scrape together a budget to open. He’d booked the cheapest off-Broadway theatre he could find, and he’d put his own name down for one of the lead roles - not out of any desire to act, but to avoid paying one more salary. Alexander’s entire budget together couldn’t have bought a month of Aaron’s performances.

“This has potential,” Aaron said, tapping his pen against the script. Alexander bristled.

“It has more than potential. It’s brilliant.”

“Maybe,” Aaron shrugged. He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee. It was a sweet, sugary monstrosity that had lowered Alexander’s opinion of him the minute he had heard him order. It was a petty thing to focus on, but when he was facing rejection, Alexander liked to have a variety of reasons to hate someone. But then Aaron said:

“I’d like to help you. But I’ve got my own career to think of.”

“Which is why you should take it,” Alexander said. His heart pounded in his chest. If he was careful, he might have a chance. “If you take one of those big roles, you’ll just be one more star in the show’s pantheon. You’ll never live up to the glory of the original cast, no matter how good you are. You can make this into your show. Fifty years from now, when people watch the show, it will be your name they’re thinking of.”

Aaron looked thoughtful. He took another sip of coffee. Judging from the size of the cup and the amount of time he’d spent drinking, Alexander suspected it was long past empty, but it did buy Aaron some time. He looked back at the script. Alexander watched him flip between pages, staring at the lines. After a very long pause, he said,

“Alright. But that’s my price.”

“Alright?” Alexander echoed, his eyes lighting up with glee before his brain caught up with his emotions. “What do you mean, that’s your price?”

Aaron tapped the script again. “You said I can make this mine. That’s my price. This is a strong script, but it needs editing. I want a hand in that.”

Alexander wavered. Netting Aaron Burr as the co-star of his show would boost ticket prices, but at what cost? His script was his baby. “And the rest of the contract?”

As Aaron laid out his terms, Alexander felt his heart flutter and stutter in his chest. He could not tell of the emotion was excitement or despair. Aaron’s terms were more than fair. He was willing to accept the low salary Alexander’s budget restricted him to, and he volunteered his own time to help promote the show. He approved of the long hours of rehearsal Alexander wanted, despite the demands being far stricter than most shows. He even offered to reach out to his network to help fill the remaining roles Alexander needed filled. It was a tantalizingly good offer. Even an actor with half Aaron’s fame and skill could demand a much better contract. And yet, Alexander could not stop himself from asking,

“What did you mean by editing?”

Whether Alexander had intended to show his hand or not, Aaron read his intentions. His eyes flashed with satisfaction, and the smile on his face bordered on predatory. It was nothing like the expression that had made crowds swoon, but there was still something there that sent a shiver down Alexander’s spine.

The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon debating the meaning of the word ‘edit’. Both of them threatened to walk away from the deal more than once, but after several long hours, they had reached an agreement. Aaron signed the contract with a flourish. Alexander could not keep from grinning as he signed his own name next to it.

“No one is going to believe this,” he told Aaron. Aaron only laughed and shook his head. Even after he left, Alexander caught himself staring at the contract in wonder. Two nights ago, he’d nearly called the whole thing off, convinced he’d never find an actor willing to take the role. He never could have hoped to win Aaron Burr.

***

Alexander had been right about one thing: no one believed them.

Part of the disbelief had to do with their strategy for the reveal. Aaron teased the media for three days before announcing which show he had signed with. He posted cryptic photos - a leather bound script here, a scrap of costume fabric there. A few hints were specific to Alexander's show, though few people could recognize that. Aaron's fans went into a frenzy. They guessed there was reason behind the seemingly random posts, but none of them came close to the true motive.

When Aaron finally announced the show he had signed with, people had assumed it was a joke. If Aaron had one widely known flaw, it was ambition. It made no sense for him to sign on with an untested show with a no-name writer. But he had, and he was absolutely committed to his work. He spent ten hours a day at Alexander’s apartment working on the show. Even better, he was not afraid to get his hands dirty. Companies that would jack up the price at an unknown name melted like butter when Aaron took over the phone. Alexander suddenly found his budget could stretch much further. He boosted the technical team behind the show, and invested in more advertising.

As they assembled enough of a cast to start rehearsing, Aaron became the driving force behind every rehearsal. He put his whole heart into every performance. The first time Alexander saw one of his solos brought to life, he was moved to tears (a fact which made Aaron insufferably smug for weeks afterwards). As their marketing campaign started, ticket sales began to rise. They soon had enough demand that they could raise the price, creating the opportunity for profit instead of just breaking even. It was everything Alexander could have hoped for.

If Alexander had one complaint, it was that Aaron’s dedication extended to writing and editing. His edits were brutal. For every the positive thing he had to say about the script, he had a thousand edits. His main issue was that Alexander was too verbose. He could spend six paragraphs stating something that could be said in one. What worked on paper would not work as well on the stage. Aaron insisted on trimming each monologue, insisting any actor worth their salt would not lose any of the nuance. Worse, Alexander could not always say he was in the wrong. Many of Aaron’s edits were objectively good modifications. When he did not gut scenes and kill Alexander’s favourite lines, he improved it. At the end, Alexander could not deny he had made the entire play stronger.

The negatives came with positives, too. Aaron did not only find faults with Alexander’s script. He also found themes and arcs that Alexander had missed and brought them to light. They were Alexander’s ideas, and had always been there, but without Aaron’s careful attention, they would never have been so brilliant. Moments like those made Alexander’s fondness for Aaron grow. For every night they stayed up arguing about a scene, there would be one where they lost hours to the natural flow and rhythm of cooperation without even realizing. Aaron seemed to spend as many nights on Alexander’s couch as he did in his own bed. A collection of Aaron’s clothes started to build at Alexander’s place, for when he did not simply borrow a shirt or a jumper from Alexander. It was always blatantly obvious when he did so: Alexander favoured brighter colours than Aaron, even though Alexander was certain there was no more beautiful sight than Aaron in bright colours. Given how unusual it was, it was only a matter of time until someone noticed.

When it did, they made headlines in the local newsletter. Finally, the article claimed, they understood why Aaron had rejected more prestigious roles. He was in love with Alexander. This was a passion project, something he had committed to out of devotion to his partner and not his usual selfish ambition. The article covered nearly a full page on its own. It lead with a photo of the two of them in a cafe, huddling close so they could pick over the minutiae of the script. It looked romantic. That much Alexander could not deny, even though he knew the truth. The gleam of passion in Aaron’s eyes was not love, but a response to the challenge of a good argument. And the adoring look on Alexander’s face was - well. Maybe, Alexander thought with a little squirm of guilt in his gut, the authors had a point with him. He did have something of a crush on Aaron. But it was a crush, not love, and they were certainly not dating.

Whatever Alexander’s feelings on the matter were, he took a certain amount of glee in watching Aaron’s reaction to the news. It was rare for Aaron to be caught off-guard and show raw, unprocessed emotion. His mouth hung open for several seconds as he read the same lines again and again, unable to believe his eyes.

“They think we’re dating?”

“Ridiculous, isn’t it?” Alexander said, trying not to sound bitter. Aaron’s eyes flicked to his face. His mouth set into a firm line. It was not quite disapproval, but there was undoubtedly something about the situation that displeased Aaron. He avoided Alexander’s eyes as he reached for his phone.

“I’ll just - oh.”

“What?”

“I’ve never seen so many notifications,” Aaron said. He held out his phone for Alexander to look. Every public social media account Aaron had had exploded. He had always been popular, but neither of them had ever seen anything like this. Alexander checked his own phone. He was in a similar boat, but there was one message in particular that caught his eye. He tapped on the email from their ticket manager. A graph filled the screen, showing daily ticket sales per day. There was a clear bump when Aaron had joined the project, but that had plateaued after a few weeks. That could not explain the massive spike in the last twenty four hours.

“Check your email?”

“Which email?” Aaron wanted to know. When he saw the graph, his eyes widened a little. As he stared, they settled back into confusion and finally determination.

“We can’t correct them.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

Aaron pointed to the plot. “Sales have skyrocketed. It’s good for business.”  
“And you’d be... okay with that?” Alexander asked cautiously. Aaron shrugged, and he might have succeeded in feigning nonchalance if he had managed to meet Alexander’s eyes.

“I’m around here often enough for it to be convincing. I don’t see why it shouldn’t be easy.”

“We’d have to act like a couple,” Alexander reminded him. With a roll of his eyes, Aaron leaned over and grabbed Alexander’s hand.

“There. We’re doing it.”

“You don’t look very in love with me,” Alexander complained. The feel of Aaron’s hand against his had his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He was flooded with conflicting emotions celebrating the contact and mourning the knowledge that it was not real. Rather than face his feelings, Alexander chose to argue. If nothing else, his comment made Aaron laugh. He tugged Alexander a little closer. Before Alexander knew what he was doing, he had crossed from his chair to the sofa Aaron occupied. As soon as he sat, Aaron pressed his body against Alexander’s and rested his head against his shoulder.

“Is this better, honey?”

For once, no words came. Alexander’s mouth felt dry. Without thinking, he wrapped an arm around Aaron and cradled him close. God. He’d known Aaron was a good actor, but he’d never considered he might be able to apply those skills to his personal life. It was only when he stared into Aaron’s face he saw signs of the lie. His eyes were bright with a familiar mischief, and his smile was more playful than adoring. He was teasing, Alexander realized, playing along with it in the same way he played with their arguments. Anger flashed through him like lightning. Before he realized what he was doing, he had pushed Aaron away roughly. Aaron did not protest, though he did raise an eyebrow.

“You could have just asked me to move.”

Alexander hesitated for a moment. Every instinct he had screamed at him to fight, but something else told him that was a bad idea. “I panicked.”  
“I can tell,” Aaron said. He adjusted his posture, shifting a little to give Alexander some more space. “I don’t blame you. I don’t like contact either.”  
Alexander’s heart plummeted in his chest. He could not decide what was worse: Aaron’s misinterpretation of his response, or the frank confession that Aaron loathed touching him. Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face, as Aaron held up his hands in a placating gesture.

“It’s nothing personal. It’s just a personal preference. There aren’t many circumstances where I’m comfortable touching people, regardless of how close we are.”

“So why do you do it?”

“I learnt at a young age that it’s easier to go along with it than argue,” Aaron said with a small shrug. “But that’s beside the point. I wanted to make sure you understand this isn’t personal, and if we do go through with the lie, I won’t let it affect my performance.”

“But you’ll hate it,” Alexander said unhappily.

“I’ll get used to it,” Aaron told him. “At least it’s you. I can think of worse people to have to be affectionate with.”

The words were meant as a comfort, but even as Alexander laughed, all he felt was despair. The deal was a bitter irony. Aaron was offering him the semblance of everything he wanted, even as he confirmed he could never give Alexander what he truly wanted. For the first time in his life, Alexander thought he must be stupid, because only a stupid man would take this deal. He could only get hurt. But the ticket sales were a convincing argument, and if he could have Aaron in his arms even just for a few hours - that was too tempting to pass up.  
“If you want to do it, I’ll do it.”

Aaron smiled and patted the spot on the couch beside him. “If that’s true, we should make sure we can pull it off. No one is going to believe us if you shove me away every time I get close.”

Mentally cursing himself, Alexander took the space by Aaron’s side. A moment later he wrapped an arm around Aaron and pulled him a little closer. Aaron took the hint, pressing close against his side and taking his hand. Although it no doubt looked very pretty, Alexander could no longer miss the subtle signs of Aaron’s discomfort. His body was tense against Alexander’s, largely from the effort of keeping his weight off him. It must have been exhausting.  
“Relax.”

“I am relaxed,” Aaron protested. Alexander barely managed to suppress a snort of laughter.

“You really are bad at cuddling, then.”

“Like you’re any better,” Aaron countered. “You pushed me.”

“You’re _hovering_ ,” Alexander said. “Just - relax. Lie down.”

There was a pause. When Aaron did start to lower his weight, he did so incrementally, his entire face fixed in a suspicious glare. As he did, Alexander, tried not to take too much pleasure in the feel of Aaron’s body against his. Instead of the promise of warmth and the lightest possible touches, he had Aaron’s full weight resting against him. He could feel the solid lines of his body. His knees pressed against Alexander’s thigh a little too hard, so he readjusted. After a few moments, all the awkward details of interlocking limbs were resolved. Alexander found it hard not to beam. This felt wonderful.

“This feels weird,” Aaron muttered. Even now, there are telltale signs he was not truly relaxed, but Alexander would take what he could get. He could live without Aaron being soft and languid and lazy, so long as Aaron was there.  
Once it became clear Aaron was not going to bolt at the first opportunity, Alexander reached out for the script they had been working on. They picked up their old debate in seconds. After thirty minutes, Aaron pulled away, but he sat close enough that their knees bumped whenever they moved. Alexander counted that as a victory.

***

Much to Alexander’s surprise, pretending to date Aaron required very few modifications to their behaviour. They held hands in public, and they shared plenty of photos via social media. When they took their work to a cafe, Aaron would sit by his side instead of opposite him and cuddle close. Alexander relished every stolen moment of contact. Even knowing it was fake, he relished every second of it.

Despite his initial discomfort, Alexander was delighted to see Aaron adapt to more physical contact. The amount of personal space he maintained around Alexander in private steadily shrank. He would not initiate any kind of touch, but he was comfortable with it. He no longer seemed alarmed if they accidentally made contact. More than once, Alexander took advantage of his new trust and touched his arm or brushed their fingers together. He told himself he was doing so for Aaron’s sake. It was exposure therapy, or something like it. Each time they touched, Aaron grew a little more comfortable with contact. Surely that could only be a good thing for him.

Bizarrely, the illusion of a sex life was the easiest to maintain. Aaron spent at least one night a week at Alexander’s as it was, and often stayed more often. When Alexander brought the topic up, Aaron claimed he would stay more often, but the couch gave him headaches. Before Alexander knew what he was doing, he said,

“You could sleep with me.”

Aaron raised his eyebrows, a mischievous grin spreading over his face. “Are you sure that’s how you want to put it?”

“You know what I mean,” Alexander protested hotly. Aaron chuckled, but there was too much affection in his smile for Alexander to think he was being mocked.  
“I do. Just don’t be afraid to kick me out if I’m annoying. I tend to move around in my sleep.”

“It’s a big bed. We’ll be fine.”

Later that night, Alexander found himself second guessing his claim that they would be fine. The closest thing Alexander owned to pyjamas were old tshirts and tracksuit pants, so both he and Aaron were dressed identically. An oversized tshirt with a cheesy slogan should not have been an attractive outfit, but to Alexander’s dismay Aaron looked no less attractive than he did in his usual button-down shirts. In a strange way, he looked even more tempting. This was Aaron with his guard down, all pretenses stripped from him. It was an Aaron most people did not get to see. The thought awoke something possessive in Alexander, and he felt a stab of regret at the realization he had no excuse to hold him close.

“Which side do you take?” Aaron asked quietly. Alexander pointed, and Aaron peeled back the covers on the opposite side. He lay right on the edge of the bed, facing away from Alexander. Pushing down his disappointment, Alexander made himself comfortable on the other side and turned out the lights.  
Within five minutes, Alexander decided he was in hell. There was a special kind of torture in knowing Aaron was so close to him in the darkness while being entirely unable to touch. Alexander lay awake for what felt like hours, watching the shadows on the ceiling. When he did sleep, it was a curious half-awake doze. His dreams were of nothing but the bedroom and his bed, and he struggled to differentiate the two. At one point he noticed Aaron’s breathing had evened out, and he breathed a soft sigh of relief. Aaron deserved to relax more often.

Not long after Aaron fell asleep, he began to toss and turn restlessly. Alexander tried to imagine doing so on the couch, and the very thought threatened to make his head ache.

After several minutes of tossing and turning, Aaron had worked his way close to the center of the bed. Alexander bit his lip. Would Aaron want him to move away? He drifted off again wondering about what to do. This time, his dreams were filled with Aaron: Aaron laughing, Aaron shouting, Aaron sighing sweetly and melting into his arms. When he woke, Alexander found the last had not been as far from reality as he might have guessed. Aaron had cuddled up against Alexander in his sleep. His face was tucked against the crook of Alexander’s neck, and one of his hands was loosely clutching Alexander’s shirt. Tentatively, Alexander gave him a gentle push. Aaron made a sound of discontent and tried to cuddle even closer. A smile spread across Alexander’s face. Part of it was driven by sheer selfish glee at Aaron’s proximity, but another part of him was simply enraptured by how sweet Aaron looked. Unable to resist, Alexander rolled onto his side so he could wrap his arms around Aaron and hold him close. He meant to move away after a time, but sleep caught him unawares. He dozed off with Aaron in his arms and a smile on his face.

When Alexander woke the next morning, he was surprised to find himself alone. When he realized he could not hear the shower running, anxiety started to churn in his gut. He’d fallen asleep holding Aaron. If Aaron had woken up, he might have chosen to leave. Alexander pulled himself out of bed and started to search the apartment. The bathroom was empty, but there were still droplets of water on the shower door. The sight gave Alexander hope. He was, therefore, not entirely surprised to find Aaron waiting for him in the kitchen. He had already showered and dressed, and there was a fresh pot of coffee waiting for Alexander. It was a testament to how relieved he was that Alexander did not make a beeline for the coffee, but instead stared at Aaron.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked, trying not to sound suspicious. Aaron nodded.  
“Remarkably well. I hope I wasn’t too much of a bother.”

Alexander thought back to the feeling of Aaron in his arms. “It’s not a problem. You can sleep with - I mean, in my bed whenever you want.”

Even at this hour of the morning, Aaron smirked at that comment. The playful wickedness in his eyes was enough to make Alexander flush. He busied himself with pouring a mug of coffee, hoping doing so would buy him time to calm himself down. As he did so, Aaron said,

“I’ll keep that in mind. It’s certainly an upgrade from the couch.”

“Well. I’d be a pretty lousy fake boyfriend if I made you sleep on the couch.”

“Right,” Aaron said, but there was something off about his tone. There was nothing concrete to point to, but a niggling voice in the back of Alexander’s mind told him something was wrong. His suspicions were confirmed when Aaron smiled. It was a very pretty smile, as well as being false as false could be. When he next spoke, he changed the topic completely. Alexander went along with it, but he did not forget Aaron’s discomfort, nor the comment that had caused it.

With a comfortable bed secured, Aaron began to spend more and more of his time at Alexander’s apartment. Each night, the pattern was the same. Aaron would lie still and stiff as a board while he was awake, careful to leave as much space as possible between himself and Alexander. Once asleep, he would toss and turn restlessly. Most nights, he found Alexander by himself, at which point he calmed. But more than once, Alexander was the one to close the distance, unable to bear the sight of Aaron's nightmares any longer. Every night, Alexander told himself he would push Aaron away. Every night, he failed to do so. He told himself he was not taking advantage. This seemed to be the only way Aaron got any sleep, and in any case Alexander was careful not to touch Aaron in any way that might make him uncomfortable. As greedy and curious as Alexander was, there were lines he was not willing to cross. It was not a hardship, as even the simple act of lying together made Alexander's heart soar.

As time went by, Alexander began to wonder at the fact they had not been caught in their lie - if not by the public or the media, then at least by their friends. But both their friendship groups seemed unsurprised by the development. Alexander’s friends were positively delighted by Aaron and his apparent ‘positive influence’ on Alexander. They great fun teasing him (when they managed to catch him off guard), and did not seem to doubt their story for a second. They were more than willing to let Aaron into their lives for Alexander's sake.

Aaron’s friends were no less welcoming, if somewhat less exuberant. If anything, they seemed amused by the situation. Aaron had very few close friends, but they were as close as family. Alexander was enthralled by the opportunity to watch Aaron with his guard down. To his delight, Alexander recognized some of the habits Aaron had around him. The wry sense of humour he toned back around strangers came out in full force. His prickly pride vanished, and he was not afraid to point out his flaws for a joke. The thought that he might be one of the few people Aaron trusted made him dizzy with glee.  
While Alexander was distracted by the rest of Aaron's friends, he heard one woman remark to Aaron,

“I shouldn’t be surprised you found someone who was even more of a disaster than you."

Aaron laughed at that, but he did not try to deny it. Alexander wondered if he should take offense, before he remembered the words were not meant for him. In any case, the words were said with a great deal of affection, enough to soothe even Alexander’s pride. It was the same kind of friendly teasing Alexander shared between his friends - if quieter, and more private. Later, Aaron confided that the woman in question, Theodosia, was his closest friend. Theodosia never said a word against Aaron in public, even in front of Alexander, but she teased him mercilessly in private. Remarkably, she was one of the few who could do so without pricking Aaron’s pride. Alexander seemed to be one of the others, and he did not know what to make of that.

Aaron’s tolerance for Alexander’s teasing was not the only sign he was treating Alexander with special favour. There were a multitude of signs, but one stood out from the rest: Aaron’s need for personal space began to fade. Each time someone touched Aaron without warning, he would tense for a few seconds before he forced himself to relax. Relaxing was a very deliberate decision, and one that took effort. Even with Aaron’s closest friends, there was a brief but undeniable delay. But the delay between Aaron recognizing Alexander and relaxing became shorter and shorter. To Alexander’s astonishment, in time it vanished altogether. An even more amazing shift followed: Aaron started seeking him out for physical affection. He stopped retreating the instant they were alone, and sometimes even reached for him out of habit. He allowed and even initiated casual contact, although never anything that lasted long. It was a complete reversal of what Alexander had come to expect, and he could not stop it from lifting his hopes.

At first, Alexander resolved to keep this observation to himself. The last thing he wanted to do was startle Aaron out of this pleasant change - or worse, make him think he was unwelcome. But as time slipped by, guilt and confusion started to outweigh his greedy desire to keep it to himself. The last straw came two weeks before the opening performance. He and Aaron had been frantic all day, but as evening fell, they agreed to take a much-needed break. Alexander sat on the couch with his tablet, while Aaron fetched a novel and a cup of tea. When he joined Alexander, he did not sit at the other end of the couch as was his custom. Instead, he curled up by Alexander’s side as if he belonged there. There was not an inch of space between them, with even Aaron’s legs curled up and tucked under his body. Alexander stared. After a few moments of being stared at, Aaron raised an eyebrow.

“Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Alexander said. “I just thought you didn’t like touching.”  
Aaron looked confused. His gaze darted along the line where their bodies were joined, and after that he could not meet Alexander’s eyes. He set his book to one side. “I’m sorry. I can - “

 

Before he could get any further, Alexander wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Aaron froze. Alexander put on the gentlest, least threatening smile he could manage. “I’m not complaining.”

The seconds stretched out. At length Aaron met Alexander’s eyes, then finally shifted back to his previous position. He was not longer so relaxed and careless, but once he started reading he was quickly absorbed in his novel. Once he was sure Aaron was distracted, Alexander grinned. He would not push things any further tonight, but that did not mean he could not plan. For the first time, Aaron seemed to be within arm's reach.

That was not the last time Aaron chose to cuddle close to Alexander. It took a fortnight of deliberation for Alexander to decide his next move was worth the risk. Whether he liked it or not, Aaron had and would hold a central role in his life as the star of Alexander’s show. Jeopardizing that was reckless - but the risk, Alexander thought, was worth it. He adored Aaron. He was not content with his friendship and his fame: he wanted everything.

Once Alexander made a decision, he did not like to dwell on it. He was a man of action. Many people said he had a flair for the dramatic, but it was truer to say that Alexander did not like to wait. Once he made a decision, he acted on it. That remained true as his realization dawned: as Aaron stood centre-stage, glowing in the face of a standing ovation from the over-packed theatre. The opening performance had been beyond successful. A sensible man would have waited for the curtain to fall, but Alexander was not a sensible man. His expression was stern and determined as he strode out on stage. There was another cheer from the crowd, but for once Alexander was deaf to the praise. All he saw was Aaron’s beaming smile as he turned to greet him. The stern set to Alexander’s mouth broke, and he grinned as he reached out and pulled Aaron into a kiss.

For one terrible second, the world halted. The crowd and cast dropped away. The lights dimmed, and all Alexander was aware of was the still of Aaron’s mouth against his own. But the second was just one second, after which the world roared back into focus. Aaron kissed him with the same passion in Alexander’s own heart. Alexander could hear the crowd and see the lights, but none of them mattered now he had Aaron for his own.

It was not until the curtain went down that Aaron pulled back. There was a new crooked twist to his smile, one that made it warm with affection instead of simply proud.

“I hope you’re going to do that again when we’re alone.”

“Let’s find somewhere alone, and we can find out.”

Instead of waiting, Aaron laughed and kissed him again. Alexander was more than happy to oblige. He could have spent the rest of his life there, he thought, kissing Aaron and basking in the light of his love.

A week later, the local theatre newsletter came out. The cover came in two variants: one featuring the performance, and one showcasing the kiss. It was a startling photo, the two of them silhouetted against the glow of the stage lights. Aaron bought both copies and had them framed, side by side. When they moved in together, they hung the papers in the hallway. There were not many people who could say their two greatest triumphs made headlines, but Alexander counted himself among them.


End file.
